Reporting staff for conduct towards student

[rainbowbear10]

My niece reported a member of staff for bullying now she's been told she won't get into next level. Can they do that? It wasn't a.one off, but several times within a month.

Much more detail needed.

• Who was the member of staff (personal tutor, module leader, course director, etc.)?
• Who were they reported to?
• What response has she had?
• Who has told her she won't progress to the next level, and on what basis?

In order to help your niece we do need more detail, OP. No identifying details.

In addition to @FatOaf ’s questions:

Did this happen at a university, an FE College, or another type of institution? (If the last, please specify as best you can)

Is the staff member a ‘regular’ member of staff such as a lecturer, reader or professor? Or are they a postdoctoral researcher, postgraduate student or other temporary/ auxiliary staff member? This is relevant for the politics of the situation. I don’t need the title, just which of the two broad categories the person belongs to.

Does the staff member if ‘regular’ hold a position formally giving them a say over your niece’s progression? In addition to the answer to @FatOaf ’s first question, I am referring to School or Departmental service/admin positions such as Senior Tutor, Examinations Officer, Director of Undergraduate Studies, etc - every place will have its own titles. I don’t need the title, just to know if they have such involvement.

True impropriety at university can be fought. In a traditional degree programme, the only way a student fails to progress is by failing their exams ( which are externally moderated).

FYI: At most unis students can make appointments to view their exams (under supervision). Also, at my uni and others I know exams are marked anonymously and by teams, and the marking is reviewed internally before external moderation. Your niece should have this option, perhaps at the start of next term

If your niece is doing a traditional degree programme, at first glance I am having difficulty seeing how there could be a link between the two things. But if you answer these questions, we and I am sure others will be happy to think more carefully about the situation with you.

We don’t need details about the bullying or the name of the institution or degree programme, and we’ve been careful not to ask for information that could be outing.

Is your niece's perception of being bullied being given negative feedback or receiving a failing mark? If so, then being disgruntled because of the grades you get or because you don't like the feedback you receive would not usually amount to bullying. Without details of what her complaint is and against whom it is impossible to say.

It was A lecturer in further education college. She reported her to the head of her course. For verbsl comments trying to mock her embarrass her in front of class 18 yrs plus. She has good timekeeping, attendance, progressing with very little remediation compared with the rest of her class she was told they would speak to the staff member and then.called into a meeting with them all at this meeting they said she wouldn't be continuing next part of course in september giving my neice no time to talk .the behaviour involved was picking on her and intimidation that was only aimed at her there were 20 other students in the class

It is very hard to know from this. What sort of picking on and why? Was this bullying? Or was she the weakest student there?

There's more to this story that I bet your princess of a niece is letting on!

I warrant she's actually not a princess at college.

Hi, OP -

I too wonder whether you have the full story, as this is utterly bizarre.

The top reason is that most FE providers, like most HE providers, should be signed up to the scheme run by the Office of the Independent Adjudicator. Students who disagree with decisions that have gone against them should carefully follow the appeals procedures of their FE/HE providers. If they exhaust these appeals and are still dissatisfied, the students may then go to the OIA.

The OIA is free to students and easy to use.
I hope that if your niece was truly and unambiguously bullied she would pursue her rights, because what you have described sounds at first glance like a grave injustice.

This is precisely why PPs and I am concerned that there may be more to the story. If your niece has told you the full story, I hope she is up for the fight because she should win - either through the OIA if her College is signed up, or by threatening to go to law if they are not. (You cannot go to the OIA if you have already been to law.) In both options she must go through College appeals processes first, and these may give satisfaction.

If your niece is reluctant to pursue an appeal within College for something that sounds, on the face of it, so gravely wrong, I would take that to mean it likely that the full story is more complicated than she has communicated. Appeals procedures should be published in the student handbook

Is your niece claiming "bullying" in response to her own questionable behavior? Because this happens sometimes and it's a retaliation that usually fails.

PS - I forgot to say that the OIA is for England and Wales

For verbal comments trying to mock her or embarrass her

Again without knowing the detail if they are given verbal feedback to students if the student doesn't like the feedback being received then potentially she may feel embarrassed because or perceive it as being mocked when it may just be honest feedback. It seems rather unlikely that she would be not allowed to continue her course for reporting a lecturer.

Perhaps speak to your niece and get to the bottom of what was actually said and about what and in what context.

To add, OP - the process of excluding a student for behavioural reasons is generally regimented and involves both escalations and written processes. The College should know very well that OIA, the Governors, etc would not allow them to exclude a student on the basis of a conversation.

That is why we are cautious

Based on the information you've given, your niece would not be denied the opportunity to progress to the next stage. Therefore, there must be more to this than you've been made aware of.